Convertible table structure



g- 7, 1 62 J. J. MOORE 3,048,459

CONVERTIBLE TABLE STRUCTURE Filed March 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WWW mg,

Aug. 7, 96 J. J. MOORE 3,048,459

CONVERTIBLE TABLE STRUCTURE Filed March 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JamesJ. Moore INVENTOR.

l 52 BY m United States Patent Office 3,048,459 Patented Aug. 7, 19623,048,459 CGNVERTIIBLE TABLE STRUtITURE James J. Moore, 5725 Roscoe St,Chicago, Ill., assignor of thirty three and one=half percent to Leslie.I. lilajak, Chicago, Ill.

Filed Mar. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 13,561 3 Claims. ((Cl. 311-408) Thisinvention relates generally to furniture but more particularly to anovel table construction which is convertible from a, for instance,dining room table, to a game table.

Many persons are today living in apartments or small houses whichprovide insufficient room for the accommodation of game devices such aspool tables, tennis tables, etc. Also, many persons though desiring topossess such game devices, find them too costly. Therefore, if a singlestructure were available for satisfactorily serving as a furniturepiece, as a dining room table for instance, and also as a game device,more persons would be able to afford such device and also more personswould be able to find room for a device of this sort in the home.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide anovel convertible table construction which is convertible from astandard table to a game table.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide aconvertible table construction wherein a supporting surface defining aplaying field thereon has depending legs secured thereto. Table surfacesections may be conveniently secured to the supporting surface forcovering the playing field for allowing utilization of the device as,for instance, a conventional dining room table.

It is a still more particular object of this invention to provide anovel convertible table construction wherein wells are defined in aperimeter wall formed on the supporting surface for receivingprojections depending from the table surface sections. The wells andprojections extend laterally so as to prevent the table surface sectionsfrom being lifted vertically from the supporting surface. Recess guidesare provided having a well terminally aligned with respect thereto sothat the table surface sections may slide over the perimeter wall withthe projections sliding in the guides and being terminally received inthe wells.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a novelconvertible table construction wherein locking means are provided forlocking the table surface sections for preventing lateral movementthereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the convertible table constructionillustrating the structure in position for usage as, for instance, adining room table;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the convertible table showing the tablesurface sections in phantom lines only;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the table surfacesections showing the plates having projections struck therefrom, securedthereto;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the platesillustrating a projection struck therefrom;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of one of said plates;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational side view of one of said plates;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theplane 7--7 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a member adapted to be secured to thesupporting surface of the table for defining the guides and wells; and

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane 99 ofFIGURE 7.

With continuing reference to the drawings numeral It generallyrepresents the table structure comprising this invention and includes aplurality of tubular depending legs 12 secured to a supporting surfaceor bed 14 and having feet 13 adjustably threadedly engaged therewith.The feet 13 are adapted to engage a floor 16. The supporting surface 14is provided with an upstand" ing Wall 18 extending about the perimeterof the supporting surface 14 and defining a game or playing field 29therein. The playing field 20 may be adapted for use in any of severalgames. However, for the purpose of illustration, the drawingsparticularly disclose a playing field designed for pool or billiards anddefining ball entrance pockets 22.

Table surface sections 26 and 28 are provided with means cooperable Withmeans carried by the supporting surface 14 for securing said tablesurface sections 26 and 28 to the supporting surface 14. Moreparticular- 1y, attention is called to FIGURES 7 and 8. A form 30 isprovided and includes a pair of substantially rectangular end portions32 and 34 bridged by a groove or trackway 36. The trackway 36 defines arecessed guide 33, of arcuate cross-section, therein. The guide 38extends forwardly to the rectangular portion 32 and terminates in adownwardly and forwardly or laterally projecting tongue 40 formedadjacent an opening 42 in the rectangular portion 32. The rectangularportion 34 is also provided with a downwardly and forwardly projectingtongue 44 formed adjacent opening 46. Wells or recesses 48 and 50 aredefined in the top surface of the upstanding wall 18. The wells 48 and50 are spaced from each other a distance equal to the distance betweenthe openings 42 and 46 in the form 30. Apertures 52 are defined in eachof the rectangular portions 32 and 34 for receiving fastenerstherethrough, as screws, for the purpose of securing the form 30 to thewall 18 as is best illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 7. The downwardly andforwardly projecting tongues 40 and. 44 thereby extend into the wells 48and 50 in the wall 18. Moreover, the wall 18 is recessed between theWells 48 and 50 for allowing the trackway 36 to be received thereonwhile not extending above the wall.

It is desired to secure the table surface sections 26 and 23 to the wall18 of the supporting surface 14. If desired, the table surface sections26 and 28 may each be formed of two separate segments to facilitate thehandling thereof. One of the segments is illustrated in FIGURE 3 and isdesignated by the numeral 27. The segments in FIGURE 1 are respectivelydesignated by the numerals 27, 29, 31 and 33. Each of the segments has apair of plates 61] secured thereto and spaced from each other a distanceequal to the distance between the wells 48 and 50. The plates 61 areprovided with apertures 62 for receiving fasteners, as screws,therethrough for securing the plates to the underside of the segments27'. Each of the plates 66 has a downward and forwardly projectingtongue 64 struck therefrom. The undersurface of the tongue 64 is roundedas at 66 for defining an arcuate cross section identical to the crosssection of the recessed guide 38. The plates 60 are secured to theunderside of the segments as is illustrated in FIGURE 3. By manuallyguiding the segments, the forward plate on the segment may be placed sothat the projecting tongue thereof is received in the recess 38. Bypushing the segment 27,

the tongue 64 may be caused to ride in the recessed guide 38 and to beguided into the opening 42 by the down wardly and forwardly projectingtongue 40. The rear plate 60 on the segment 27 will be automaticallypositioned by the forward tongue 64 riding in the recessed guide 38 sothat the tongue 64 on the rear plate enters the well 50 through theopening 46 on the tongue 44.

Attention is particularly called to FIGURE 7 wherein the segment 27 isshown secured to the wall 18. The tongues 64 are supported on thetongues 40 and 44 beneath the rectangular portions 32 and 34-respectively. Inasmuch as the tongues extend laterally, it will beapparent that the segments may not be merely lifted vertically from thesupporting surface 14. In order to remove the segments from thesupporting surface, it i necessary to slide the segments rearwardlyuntil the tongues 64 emerge from the wells 48 and 50. In order toprevent the accidental disengagement of the table surface sections fromthe supporting surface, latch means 70 are provided on each end of thesupporting surface. The latch means comprise a detent 72 mounted forrotation on screw 74. A washer 76 is disposed between the screw head andthe detent 72. In each of the segments 27, 29, 31 and 33, a slot 80 isdefined. The slots 80 extend from the underside of the segments andterminate in an arcuate upper surface as 82. The slots 80 of thesegments 27 and 29 are aligned and complementary as particularlyillustrated in FIGURE 9. Likewise, the slots of segments 31 and 33 areformed in a similar manner. When each of the sections 26 and 28 or allof the segments are in place on the supporting surface 14, that is whenthe tongues 64 are properly received in the Wells 43 and 50, the detents72 may be rotated to a vertical position so as to enter the slots 80. Itwill then be apparent that the segments are prevented from movinglaterally as well as vertically. With the segments properly secured tothe supporting surface, a removable top is provided whereby the tablewill serve well as, for instance, a dining room table. When dinner isover, the segments may be easily removed for gaining access to theplaying field 20.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A convertible table comprising a bed providing a game field, a topmounted on the bed, and means for removably securing said top on saidbed, said means including a plate mounted on the bed having an openingtherein, a plate mounted on the top, and an inclined, tapered, resilienttongue on the second-named plate frictionally engaged under tensionbeneath the first-named plate through the opening, said first-namedplate further including a tongue frictionally engageable by thefirstnamed tongue, said bed having a recess in the top thereofaccommodating the tongues.

2. A convertible table including a bed providing a game field, a topmounted on the bed, and means for removably securing said top on saidbed, said means comprising a plate on the bed having an opening thereinand a plate on the top comprising a tapered, inclined tonguefrictionally engageable under tension beneath the first-named platethrough the opening, said first-named plate further including a guidehaving a channel therein communicating with the opening for directingthe tongue thereinto, said first-named plate still further comprising atongue frictionally engageable by the first-named tongue when it entersthe opening.

3. A convertible table comprising a generally rectangular horizontalbed, supporting legs depending from said bed, an endless, generallyrectangular upstanding wall on the marginal portions of the bed defininga generally rectangular game field, said wall having a fiat top andincluding end and side portions, said side portions havinglongitudinally spaced recesses therein, elongated metallic platessecured longitudinally on the side portions of the wall, said platesoverlying the recesses and having longitudinal slots thereincommunicating with said recesses, elongated longitudinally groovedguides recessed longitudinally into the side portions of the wallbetween the end portions thereof and the recesses, said guidescornmunicating with the slots, a removable top mounted on the wall forcovering the game field, said top including inner end-abutting sectionsslidable longitudinally on the wall, oppositely facing inclined tongueson the undersides of the sections operable in the guides and engageablefrom opposite directions in the slots and beneath the plates forsecuring the sections on the wall against lateral and vertical movement,and means for releasably securing the sections against outwardlongitudinal movement on the wall for preventing withdrawal of thetongues from the slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

